Truth or Dare
by Clear Rain
Summary: Jamie's dare brings the drifting Caitie and Val closer together with more appreciation of their differences.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Pretty bad, I know… but hey, I had fun writing it, and that's all that counts.. right? Hehe.

DISCLAIMER: Not mine, no money, don't sue.

# Prologue

Caitie Roth stared angrily at the posters plastered on her side of the bedroom ceiling. There was just no peace and quiet around here, was thre?

As if to emphasize her point, her younger sister called to her from across the room.

"Caitie, how do you spell 'alleviate?'" 

Caitie clenched and unclenched her jaw irritatedly.

"A-ll-e-vi-ate," she spelled, anger seething softly and dangerously beneath the letters. "And tell Mom I'll be back before 10, 'kay?"

Caitie grabbed her book bag and headed for the door, not sure where she was going except that she was going far, far away from here. Suddenly inspired, she decided she'd stop by the EMS station to vent at Val before she went to the Kingsport library to finish up her English report.

Quietly pushing open the glass door, Caitie deftly avoided Alex and his "not-while-they're-on-duty" lecture. What she found inside the EMS station was a true haven of sloth and bored apathy.

Val reclined across her top bunk, boredly pushing back a cuticle. Jamie slept soundly on the bunk below her. Tyler and Hank were uninvolved in a bland game of war.

"Can you guys believe we haven't had a call in—" Val stifled a yawn, "—three whole days?"

"Mm," Hank and Tyler elicited in unison. 

It was now that Caitie chose to jump into the room. Her sudden presence did nothing to stir the dull dust of boredom that seemed to settle over the whole room.

"Come on, you guys!" Caitie whimpered. "Wake up and shake it up! It looks like it's about time you had some fun in this place!"

No response.

"Oka-ay…maybe we need some music, or some coffee, or…" Caitie eyed her unappreciative and inattentive audience, "…a rousing game of 'truth or dare?'" Caitie cheered sarcastically. "Val? You up for it?"

"Hm-um," she answered blankly.

"What do you say, Tyler?"

"Uh-unh."

"Hank?"

"Dumb game."

"WORDS! They _speak!"_ Caitie rolled her eyes.

"I'm in," came a voice from a lower bunk. Val was so startled that she sat up and hit her head on the ceiling.

"Jamie! I thought you were asleep!" Caitie exclaimed happily. Val nodded in agreement, rubbing her head ruefully.

Jamie grinned. "Surprise. So, we playing or not?"

Tyler put down his stack of cards. "Guess so."

Hank glared at him. "Just 'cause you were losing." He placed his slightly larger stack of cards atop Tyler's. "But I still think it's a dumb game."

"Who's going first?" Val asked as she climbed down to join them in their group around the table.

"I will." Caitie had an evil glint in her eye. "Val—truth or dare?"

"Truth," Val and Caitie said in unison. "You always pick truth," Caitie continued.

"Well, you always used to pick dare. We needed someone to even it out. There are only so many neighbors you can borrow a cup of molasses from."

Caitie rolled her eyes. "Okay, truth: pickles or potatoes?"

Val raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What kind of question was that? I mean, how am I supposed to choose when I don't even know what it's going on, or what it's going with, or how it's been prepared, or how old it is—"

"Just answer!" Caitie demanded. "Sorry, first question's always hardest…and you should have picked dare!"

"Potatoes, I guess," Val shrugged. "Okay, Hank—truth or dare?"

Afraid he'd get a similar question, Hank picked dare. He felt Val was fairly harmless anyway. He had to down a glass of Brooke's famous punch, but that was all.

"'Kay, my man Jamie: truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Um…what do you really think of Alex?"

"Mostly harmless," Jamie grinned. "Underneath that icy exterior he's just a big lug. Caitie?"

"Dare," Val and Caitie answered together, the latter shooting a cold stare at the former.

"Well, good." Caitie didn't like the mischievous glint in Jamie's eye. "Because my dare has to do with both of you."

Both girls raised an eyebrow.

"Tomorrow, Val goes to school dressed as Caitie and Caitie goes dressed as Val."

Val's other eyebrow shot up as Caitie's jaw dropped down.

"Dude, Jamie…" Tyler trailed off, "I really don't think—"

"Dare accepted," Caitie answered steelily.

"Me too," Val nodded.

"Guys…" Hank began.

"Nono, I think it'll be fun," Val piped.

"And educational," Caitie added.

"You don't have to change how you act or your daily schedule or anything…just how you dress. Lasts for 24 hours starting immediately," Jamie clarified.

"Hey Val?" Caitie asked suddenly. "Does this station of yours have any Kool-Aid?"

"Yeah, I think so…why?"

"Oh, no reason…do you think you could find some for me?"

"Sure…it's just in the kitchen."

The two girls headed out, leaving Jamie to deal with the disapproving Hank and Tyler.

"Where do you get off daring them to do that?" Tyler began accusingly. "Do you know how much this is going to hurt Val? Do you know what people will say about her if she suddenly comes dressed to school looking like…"

"One of us?" Jamie's voice was eerily quiet.

"Look, Jamie…" Hank started levelly, "There's nothing wrong with the way you and Caitie dress—because its' the way you want to dress. Dressing completely out of character like this is just asking for trouble."

Jamie shrugged. He wasn't about to tell them his real motive for the dare. "I just thought it would be a good experience for them, that's all. Something…educational."


End file.
